Quærentem nulla ad speluncam, signa ferebant. Hic verò Alcidæ furiis exarserat atro Felle dolor: rapit arma manu, nodisque gravatum NOTES. them in his cave, by shutting the entrance upon them. Indiciis: in the sense of signis. 212. Quærentem: Hercules searching for his cattle. Ferebant: in the sense of ducebunt. 214. Abitum: a sup. in um, of abeo; to depart. 215. Discessu: in their departure-as he was driving them off. This bellowing of his cattle was in consequence of the loss of those that had been stolen by Cacus. At this moment one of those shut up in the cave, hearing the bellowing of her mates, answered, and by that means, led to a disco very. 216. Relinqui: the hills were left by the cattle, to proceed on their way; and consequently, they would cease to resound with the lowings of the herd. 219. Furiis in the sense of in furias. 220. Dolor atro felle: then indeed rage from the black gall of Hercules, flamed into fury. Alcide gen. of Alcides, a name of Hercules. The poet here supposes the gall, to be the seat of the angry passions. 221. Robur: the club was the principal weapon of Hercules. 223. Oculis. By this is evidently meant the sight of Hercules. On seeing the hero approach, Cacus was filled with fear and consternation. Dr. Trapp and Mr. Davidson, both give a very singular turn to this. They think that Cacus by his eyes expressed his fear and dismay. Ruæus says, visu. 226. Paterna arte: by his father's art. The Cyclops, the servants of Vulcan, are said to have invented the art of fortifying cities. 227. Postes properly the door-posts. By meton. the door or entrance. Objice: from obex, a bolt or bar-any thing that shutteth in or out, and preventeth passage. Fultos: secured. 228. Tirynthius. A name of Hercules, from Tirynthus, a town of Argolis, in the Peloponnesus, where he passed the greater part of his youth. 229. Ferebat ora: he cast his eyes-he looked on every side. 233. Acuta silex stabat, &c. The meaning of the passage is this: on the side of the cave, stood a large flinty rock, and projecting with its top over the river on the left. This the hero observing, he took his stand opposite to it on the right; and exerting his strength, started it from its bed, and pulled it over. By this means, an aperture was made into the cave of the monster. cave was on Mount Aventinus, on the east of the Tiber. Saxis præcisis undique: the rock being sharpened or tapered all around toward the top. This rock was a suitable place for the haunts of inauspicious birds. This Avulsam solvit radicibus: inde repentè Impulit, impulsu quo maximus insonat æther; Dissultant ripæ, refluitque exterritus annis. At specus, et Caci detecta apparuit ingens Regia, et umbrosæ penitùs patuere cavernæ. 243. Non secus ac Non secùs ac siquâ penitùs vi terra dehiscens siquâ vi terra dehiscens Infernas reseret sedes, et regna recludat penitùs reseret infernas sedes Pallida, Dis invisa; supèrque immane barathrum Cernatur, tripidentque immisso lumine Manes. 247. Ergo Alcides pre- Ergò insperatâ deprensum în luce repentè, mit eum telis desuper, Inclusumque cavo saxo, atque insueta rudentem, repentè deprensum in Desuper Alcides telis premit, omniaque arma insperata luce Advocat, et ramis vastisque molaribus instat. 256. Alcides animis non tulit ipseque jecit an nodum 240 245 250 Ille autem, neque enim fuga jam super ulla pericli est, Fumus agit, nebulâque ingens specus æstuat atrâ. 255 260 pen 260. Complexus eum Corripit, in nodum complexus; et angit inhærens 265. Nostra corda nequeunt, 236. Jugo: in the sense of vertice. 238. Solvit: loosened it. NOTES. 239. Quo impulsu: by the fall of which. 240. Ripa dissultant. Mr. Davidson thinks this is to be taken in a literal sense; the banks leap different ways. The tumbling rock shatters the bank, and makes it fly in pieces. These shattered fragments, together with the splinters of the rock, falling into the river, drive back its current. This plain natural effect, the poet describes in animated style: Dissultant ripæ, &c. 241. Delecta: uncovered. 242. Umbrosa: in the sense of tenebrosa. Penitùs: widely-deeply. 244. Rescret: in the sense of aperiat. 245. Invisa Dis: abhorred-hated by the gods. Ruæus interprets invisa, by inaspecta: unsecn-invisible. Dr. Trapp thinks this to be one of the finest similes that ever was written. The idea is taken from Homer. Iliad, Lib. 20. Super: in the sense of desuper. 248. Rudentem insuetà: roaring hugely, Irsueta: an adj. neu. plu, taken as an adv. in imitation of the Greeks. 250. Ramis. Here the boughs are taken for the trees that bore them. by synec.; for the bough would have been too feeble weapons. Molare properly a mill-stone-here any 265 stone. Advocat: calls to his aid every kind of weapon, &c. 251. Fuga: escape. Super est. The parts of the verb are separated by tmesis. 253. Involvit: in the sense of implet. 254. Oculis: from the eyes of Hercules. Glomerat: whirls around in his cave, &c. 256. Animis: in the sense of irâ, 257. Quà fumus: where the smoke ascends thickest in wavy columns; and where the capacious den waves in black clouds of smoke. 260. Inhærens angit: holding him fast, he squeezes his eyes started from their sockets, and his throat destitute of blood. He held him so fast about the neck, that his eyes started from their sockets. It also prevented the circulation of the blood; the consequence of which was death. 263. Abstracta boves: these were the stolen or filched heifers of Hercules. Abjurato rapina: abjured plunder. Most probably these were things which Cacus had denied upon oath to have been in his posses sion. 264. Cœlo: in the sense of luci. 265. Corda: in the sense of animi, vel oculi. Terribiles oculos, vultum, villosaque setis Ex illo celebratus honos, lætique minores ô Cingite fronde comas, et pocula munere laudum, agite, ó juvenes, tantarum in Communemque vocate Deum, et date vina volentes. Exetin from Ft Kime NOTES. wa 2 269. Auctor: institutor-founder. 270. Domus: in the sense of familia. Sacr: in the sense of sacrificii, says Rumus. Custos: keeper--preserver. Ruæus interprets it by ministra ; which implies that this family performed the offerings and sacrifices to Hercules themselves. Davidson renders it: "the depository of this institution sacred to Hercules." 271. Quæ dicetur: which shall always be called the greatest by us, &c. Dionysius informs us that this was the altar on which Hercules offered the tenth of his spoils. On that account it became the object of their chief veneration; and was therefore called maxima, to distinguish it from the numerous altars, which that hero had in Italy. 273. Munere tantarum : in the celebration of so great virtue, &c. Laudum : praiseworthy deeds. Munus, says Donatus, dicitur cura cujusque rei perficiendæ imposita cum necessitate faciendi. 275. Communem Deum. Those gods were called communes, or common, who were worshipped on account of their general good, or utility. Such were Mars and Mercury. Hercules was one of them. The Arcadians, Trojans, and Italians, equally worshipped them. 276. Populus bicolor, &c. The poplar tree was sacred to Hercules, because, in his descent to hell, he made himself a crown of the leaves of that tree. The part next his head retained its color, while the outer part became black with the smoke of the infernal regions. Hence it is called bicolor: doublecolored. Herculeâ umbra: with its Herculean shade. custos Herculei right hand 275. Herculem com 276 munem Deum, has bie नियंत 278. Scyphus: a large vessel or cup used by Hercules, and sacred to that god. It is of Greek origin. 280. Vesper fit the evening becomes nearer, the heaven being set-the day being closed. This is said according to the notion of those philosophers, who taught that the whole heavens revolve about the earth in the space of twenty-four hours. As the hemisphere of day sets, that of the night arises. Devexo Olympo: the day drawing toward a close. This is the better version. For night had not yet arrived. It was only fast approaching-it was coming near. 282. Cincti: clad in skins according to custom. This custom was founded on the habit of Hercules, which was the skin of a lion. 284. Cumulant aras: they heap the altars with full chargers. La Cerda understands this of the incense, which, on solemn occasions, used to be offered on broad plates. This seems to agree best with the following words: circum incensa altaria: around the altars burning with incense. Others refer it to the dona secundæ mense; the fruits and other delicacies which used to be served up in the second course; and, in the sacred banquets, were first presented on the altar by way of consecration. The ancients divided their feasts into one, two, and sometimes three courses, or tables: the first course consisted of meats, which being removed, a second course was brought on, consisting of fruits, deserts, wine, &c. They were denominated prima mensa, secunda mensa, &c. .285. Salii. These were a choir of twelve 277. Innexa: in the sense of implicata. men of patrician order, first instituted by 287. Hic est chorus Populeis adsunt evincti tempora ramis. senuin; qui juvenumn, ille est chorus Hic juvenum chorus, ille senum; qui carmine laudes eliserit angues, 290 288. Ut premens manu eliserit prima monstra novercæ Junonis, Ut bello egregias idem disjecerit urbes, geminosque angues: Trojamque, Echaliamque; ut duros mille labores 293. Tu, O invicte he- Rege sub Eurystheo, fatis Junonis iniquæ, ros, mactas bimembres Pertulerit. Tu nubigenas, invicte, bimembres, nubigenas 296. Cerberus janitor Hylæumque, Pholumque manu; tu Cressía mactas Ocri, recubans cruento Prodigia, et vastum Nemeæ sub rupe leonem. antro super semesa ossa, Te Stygii tremuere lacus: te janitor Orci, tremuit te: nec ulla fa- Ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento. cies terruerunt te 300. Lernæus anguis Nec te ulla facies, non terruit ipse Typhœus cum turba capitum cir- Arduus, arma tenens: non te rationis egentem cumstetit te non egen- Lernæus turba capitum circumstetit anguis. tem rationis. Salve, vera Jovis proles, decus addite Divis; 302. Tu dexter adi et Et nos, et tua dexter adi pede sacra secundo. nos et tua sacra An a NOTES. Numa in honor of Mars. Virgil supposes that Evander was the founder of it in honor of Hercules, so called from salio. Evander divided his band into two choirs; the one consisting of youths, the other of old men. 286. Adsunt: in the sense of accedunt vel saltant. Cantus: music-song. Ruæus says, inter cantus. 288. Ferunt carmine: they celebrate in song the praises of Hercules, and his heroic deeds. The chief of these are ten, which are denominated labors. 1. When in his cradle, he killed the two serpents that Juno sent to devour him; 2. He took Troy in the reign of Laomedon, because he refused to pay the promised reward for delivering his daughter Hesione from a whale; 3. He destroyed the city of Echalia, in Thessaly, because Eurytus, its king, refused to give him his daughter after he had promised her to him; 4. The servitude imposed upon him by Eurystheus, king of Mycena; 5. His victory over the centaurs, a people of Thessaly; 6. His victory over the bull that ravaged Crete. This bull vomited or breathed flames. Some say he killed him, others that he carried him to Eurystheus; 7. His victory over the lion in the Nemean grove; 8. His descent into hell; 9. He assisted the gods in the war against the giants; 10. He killed the hydra of a hundred heads in the lake of Lerna. It is said he built a funeral pile on mount Ela, in Thessaly, on which he threw himself; and having become purified from all mortal pollution, he ascended to heaven, and took a eat among the gods. See Lex. under Hercules. Ferunt: in the sense of memorant vel celebrant. 289. Premens: grasping in his hand, he killed the first monsters, &c. Ut: how. 292 Eurystheo. Eurystheus was king of Mycenae, to whom Hercules was made subjec, by the fates for a term of years. He 295 300 imposed on him the severest labors, at the instance of Juno, with an intention to destroy him. Juno was the bitter enemy of her stepson. Hence she is called inique Junonis. Fatis: by the order-destination. Per potestatem Junonis, says Ruæus. 293. Nubigenas: the cloud-born sons.— They were fabled to have been the sons of Ixion and Nubes. Their upper part was human, their lower part a horse. Hence they are called bimembres : double membered. The truth of the fable is this: Mount Pelion was infested by a species of wild cattle or bulls, that proved very troublesome to the inhabitants of the adjacent country. Ixion, king of Thessaly, offered a great reward to any who should destroy them. Whereupon, the young men of a village called Nephele undertook it. For this purpose they mounted on horseback, and attacked them with such success, that, in a short time, they were utterly destroyed. Hence the fable of their being begotten by lxion on a cloud, Nephele being the Greek word for a cloud. They were called Centauri, from the circumstance of their killing these bulls. Tu, invicte. This is a beautiful transition from the third person to the second. This figure, properly used, renders composition animated and lively. 294. Cressia prodigia: the bull that breathed fire, and the hind with brazen feet. Prodigia: monsters. 296. Tremuëre: in the sense of timuerunt. 299. Egentem rationis: wanting presence of mind-reason. Circumstetit: surrounded-assaulted on every side. 301. Addile: added to the gods as an honor to their assembly. Addite: a part. agreeing with vera proles, in the voc. 302. Dexter: favorable-propitious. Adi: approach-visit. Rumus says, veni. Secundo pede: with favorable omens-signs. Falia carminibus celebrant; super omnia Caci Speluncam adjiciunt, spirantemque ignibus ipsum. Code: 310 315 Consonat omne nemus strepitu, collesque resultant. 305 Tum reges, asperque immani corpore Tybris ; NOTES. 303. Super omnia: above all-in addition to all other things. 307.Obsitus ævo: sown thick with agewith gray hairs, and other marks of age. This is a metaphor taken from a field of corn. 310. Faciles oculos: his rolling eyes-his eyes eager to observe the various scenes that presented to his view. 311. Capitur: is captivated-charmed. 312. Singula: all-every one. This word signifies all taken singly-one by one. 313. Conditor Romanæ arcis. Evander's city Pallanteum was built upon the hill, afterward called mons Palatinus; where Romulus laid the foundation of Rome. 314. Indigena: properly, a sub. here used as an adj.: born in the place-native of the country-not foreign. 315. Gens virûm nata: a race of men sprung from the trunks of trees and hard oak. At first men inhabited the deserts and forests. Hence they were thought to have sprung from trees. Mos: in the sense of leges. Cultus: civil institutions. 317. Aut parcere parto: or to use frugaly what they had acquired. This descrip 320 325 330 313. Conditor Romanæ arcis inquit: Fauni, Nymphæque indigenæ, gensque virûm nata 322. Maluitque regionem vocari Latium, quonia 330. Tum reges vene runt; asperque Tybris ex immani corpore venit, à quo nos Itali pòst tion of the state of the spot where Rome was afterward built, and its comparison with its state when the poet wrote, must have been highly gratifying to his countrymen. 318. Asper: in the sense of durus. 329. Regnis ademptis: his possessions (kingdom) being taken from him-banished from his throne and kingdom. 322. Composuit: he united together-he formed into society a race, &c. 326. Donec deterior: till, by little and little, a depraved and corrupt age, and a rage for war, &c. Here is an allusion to the silver, brass, and iron ages. See Ecl. iv. 6. 327. Habendi: of possessing-getting wealth. 329. Posuit nomen: changed its name laid it down. 330. Tybris. He was a king of the Tuscans, and, being slain near the river, gave his name to it. Its original name was Albula. Some derive its name from Tiberinus, king of the Albans, who was drowned in it. Asper: fierce. 332. Diximus: called. Apellavimus, says Ruæus. |